


Join the Pack

by Impala_Cherry_Trickster



Series: Merlin Prompts [29]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alpha Arthur, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Arthur Knows About Merlin's Magic (Merlin), BAMF Morgana (Merlin), Canon Era, Confused Merlin (Merlin), Everyone Loves Merlin (Merlin), F/M, Good Morgana (Merlin), Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Merlin is a Little Shit, Pack Dynamics, Parent Gaius (Merlin), Protective Arthur, Protective Knights (Merlin), Werewolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-09
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:34:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 12,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24622489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Impala_Cherry_Trickster/pseuds/Impala_Cherry_Trickster
Summary: A curse that turned Arthur into a werewolf, and now the group have become his Pack. The only person that refuses to be bitten?Merlin.
Relationships: Gwaine/Merlin (Merlin), Gwen/Merlin (Merlin), Knights/Merlin (Merlin), Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Merlin/Morgana (Merlin)
Series: Merlin Prompts [29]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1706692
Comments: 113
Kudos: 677





	1. Wolves

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Blazing_Darkness for the suggestion!

‘You can’t just go around biting people!’ Merlin protested, even though he knew it would fall on deaf ears. Strangely, Arthur sighed, looked to his Knights, then back to Merlin.

‘We’re a family. A Pack.’ Merlin accepted many things in his life, he honestly did. That Arthur got turned into a werewolf while on a Hunt that Merlin should have been on, but he had decided to stay back. That had been his fault, and so when Arthur became a snapping, snarling beast once a month, Merlin could accept that.

Then he bit Leon. Apparently, Pack expansion was something that happened quite rapidly, and now there were eight werewolves in Camelot, six of whom were called “Alphas”. Gaius had tried to explain it to him, based on the lore that he had access to, but Merlin had been too busy panicking. The thing was, he got it. They were a family, the nine of them in total, with Gaius’s occasional parenting.

Morgana looked amused at his freak-out, the Beta-wolf regarding him as he paced back and forth.

‘If it is your Magic that you fear, you shouldn’t. I feel fine.’ They wanted him to join them. Of course, it made sense. Merlin was the only one that hadn't been bitten, that hadn't joined what Arthur called his “Pack”. They still all obeyed Arthur, that was true, yet now they could run around in the woods like normal wolves, hunting as a group. Working in unison, able to understand each other perfectly.

Increased reflex-ability, the shifting wasn’t painful, and they could master certain parts of the transformation. He’d seen Arthur’s eyes turn red, or Gwaine summon his claws, on multiple occasions. It was fascinating to see, but Merlin wasn’t sure he wanted to join them.

He was already different. His Magic made him a weird creature to begin with, then there was the whole Dragonlord business. Just because they knew about his Magic, didn’t mean they knew the extent of it. Well, Morgana did, because she knew the prophecy.

‘Merlin, we all want this! To be part of a Pack, I can’t describe it. The feeling is incredible.’ Gwen had a dreamy expression, one that made Merlin roll his eyes. Another Beta, according to what Arthur had told him.

‘You all keep your teeth to yourself.’ He snapped, bundled up Arthur’s washing and tried to storm from the room with as much dignity as he could muster.

**

‘He’ll come around.’ Morgana remarked, eyeing up her brother with a curious expression. She wondered if he realised how close his obsession with Merlin had become. If he knew that everyone else could see it.

She knew Merlin was going to, eventually, become a wolf. She wasn’t sure how she knew, just that her gut told her it would happen. He’d be special. Something that would unite them, that would bond them together in one smooth movement. He wouldn’t be a Beta or an Alpha, although she didn’t yet know the word for what he would become.

Another thing that was slightly odd, the feelings of all of the group towards Merlin. He was one of them, no doubt about it. But they all held a certain amount of attraction towards him. They could hide it well, or in Arthur’s case, not very well at all. As humans, that was, but when they changed into wolves? When Merlin became one of them?

He was scared, and she understood. She had wondered how it would settle against her Magic, before the feeling had overwhelmed her. Like Magic, the ability to shift was tucked deep away. Merlin may be stronger than her, a lot stronger, but she had every faith he would be able to contain his power even in wolf form.

‘I just wish… He needs to stop being so stubborn.’ Arthur huffed. Nobody had ever denied him, he was used to being entitled. Along comes Merlin, a strange enigma wrapped up in a leather jacket and a neckerchief, with cheekbones sharp enough to cut and lips Morgana had wanted to kiss for a while.

‘And snappy.’ Gwen agreed, chuckling.

‘And sexy.’ Gwaine contributed, while Arthur flashed him a warning glance. The Alpha, of course, ignored it.

Pack dynamics had changed, ever since Morgana’s first run over a month ago. With the full-moon tomorrow evening, Arthur had been impatient to turn Merlin. Maybe he needed to witness what it was like, to see the run from a human perspective.

‘We’ll take him with us tomorrow. He can watch.’ Morgana knew she wasn’t the leader of this Pack. But, like Arthur was King and she was his sister, the same extended to their wolf-forms. He listened to her, trusted her instinct. Even if she couldn’t use Magic when she shifted, it was nice enough to know that he still found her useful.

‘Is that safe?’ Arthur carefully questioned, and Gwaine snorted.

‘Scared you’ll ravage him?’ The King blushed, tried to stammer out that of course he wouldn’t do such a thing, and Morgana rolled her eyes.

‘Merlin this, Merlin that. It’s ridiculous, that all eight of us find him so attractive.’ She’d never bothered stating it aloud, but when she did, she watched each and every single one of them look embarrassed.

Gods, Merlin didn’t even realise.

**

‘And they want me to watch!’ He shrieked, while Gaius just watched as he ate the stew. His Uncle looked more amused than anything else, chuckled as Merlin almost choked.

‘They asked me, you know.’ Merlin halted, snapped his head up to stare at the Physician in shock.

‘What?’ Was he the only sane one in this group?

‘Werewolves live longer. They have better lives. It’s a family, Merlin.’ Okay, he was the only one that still had his mind. Being bitten, turning into some creature…

‘It’s because you won’t have your Magic.’ Gaius remarked, and Merlin winced. Alright, so as soon as Morgana had told him that, he’d panicked. Losing his Magic once had been enough, he didn’t want to do it again, and not for such a long length of time.

‘How can I protect Arthur…’

‘If you’re not part of his Pack.’ Gaius finished firmly, before sighing. His face softened, and Merlin knew the parenting part of the conversation was coming up.

‘Merlin, I understand your fears. But Arthur wants you to be part of his family, and I know you want to stay with the group.’ He did. But becoming a wolf, worrying that he wouldn’t be able to control his Magic? Not only that, but what would he be? He wasn’t an Alpha, even he could tell that. But a Beta didn’t suit him either, and he was worried about being either.

‘What would I be?’ Gaius shrugged, gestured to the books.

‘There’s another type.’

‘You didn’t tell them that!’ He stated, shocked, and Gaius hesitated.

‘They’re called an Omega. And I have a feeling that might be what you would become.’ No, he’d changed his mind, he didn’t want to know. Because he wanted his decision to be based on what his heart said, not the book.

‘Can you… can you tell them about it? If they still want me after that…’ Gaius understood, a hand coming across to rest on his shoulder.

‘You might not be one, my boy.’ He said it like it was a bad thing. All of a sudden, he wished he knew nothing at all.

‘I’ll watch them Hunt tonight.’ And he’d make his decision based on that.


	2. The Hunt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin's learning

‘Make sure you don’t get caught up.’

‘Yes Gaius.’

‘And avoid them if they try and bite.’

‘Yes Gaius.’

‘But write down any recordings, honestly it would be… Merlin?’ He paused at the doorway, shooting a grin over his shoulder.

‘I’ve got to get going, the sun is setting.’ His Mentor nodded, shooed him out of the door and went back to whatever he’d been doing before the lecture. Merlin, with his satchel and some paper and a waterskin, set off towards the grass-bank outside Camelot’s walls.

The others were already gathered, Arthur looking unimpressed at his lateness.

‘Even with this, you’re lazy.’ Merlin rolled his eyes at the King, he wasn’t actually mad. Part of him wanted to say something snarky back at him, but he refrained from doing so. Instead, he watched as they went to hide their clothes in the treeline. He averted his eyes from them stripping, looking up at the full-moon.

Cracking bones sounded awful, he wasn’t too fond of that part. He figured he might as well start walking, headed into the trees without hovering where they were transitioning. Gaius, true to his word, had told him nothing more about what an Omega was. Tomorrow, after the Hunt went on tonight, he would tell the King what he presumed Merlin to be. After all that had happened, what would they think?

The forest was eerily quiet at night. The setting sun made the shadows creep into weird shapes, stretching out towards his feet as he walked through. He made no effort to be quiet, not that it would make a difference. Wolves would find him either way, and he could only hope that they would be fond of him being around them.

His Magic warned him that something Magical was approaching, looking over his shoulder to find a set of golden eyes studying. According to Arthur, all of them had golden eyes like that, apart from the Pack Leader, who would have red eyes. They weren’t like his own, the dark in them were more like slits, the golden less like fire and more a dull yellow. Still pretty, still scary when that was all he could see of the first wolf.

It crept out of the undergrowth, and Merlin got his first full look at a werewolf. Ever since Arthur had been cursed, he’d hid his transitions well. The most the Warlock had ever caught sight of was a flash of fur. This creature was elegant, a dark brown shade with ears pricked forwards, larger than even the biggest of hunting dogs. He let it approach, didn’t tense as it moved closer. The wolf paused, sitting down and cocking its head towards him, and Merlin laughed.

‘Hi, Lancelot.’ It didn’t take a genius to work it out, but the wolf seemed pleased. A second appeared, in quick succession with another. Smaller than Lancelot, a light brown wolf and a bluish colour, Merlin smiling to both of them.

‘Morgana, Gwen.’ The blue wolf seemed to smirk, while Gwen just sat down and looked around the clearing. Merlin felt rather odd, surrounded by wolves that kept appearing from the woods, studied the next ones that arrived.

Leon, a reddish brown that had a cow-lick on his head that was utterly adorable. Elyan, similar to Lancelot’s shade but with lighter feet. Percival, easily the largest of the wolves, a speckled dark and light brown.

When Gwaine came sauntering out of the trees, Merlin snorted with laughter. Dark, almost the colour of Merlin’s hair, but with tan feet, the tip of his tail and a strip that he could see running under his belly. The wolf came right up to him, nudged his belly and then tilted his head up, demanding affection.

He reached out with care, surprised at how soft the fur was. Stroked down the side of his muzzle, marvelling at how big all of them were, at how… feral it seemed. The ears pricked backwards momentarily, before Merlin became aware of the changing atmosphere.

Arthur was golden. Eyes that were the colour of rubies, but he was so… elegant. Walked into the clearing and all the wolves bowed away, even Gwaine, after a brief hesitation. Merlin studied the King, waited to see how he would react, but the Alpha just looked around the clearing.

The Hunt, right. Merlin watched as they began to move away, and he felt… odd. Like he was almost missing out on something, but then he reminded himself that this was a decision he couldn’t go back on. Arthur shot him a look, probably convincing him to keep up, before they were off.

It gave him time to think, as he moved through the trees. His Magic kept him aware of where they were, but Merlin wasn’t too bothered by the fact they were hunting. That was another thing, hunting animals? It was cruel, he was a creature of Magic that naturally was more open to the natural things around.

The wolves were creatures of Magic. Could he become a wolf, as well as a Warlock and a Dragonlord? Balancing all those things, losing control of his Magic, he didn’t yet know if it was worth it.

A howl pierced the sky, and to begin with, he presumed it a normal call for the Pack. But then something in his gut told him there was an issue, and he was running before he could stop it. The trees blurred, his Magic guiding him as he raced faster, uncaring of the fact if he tripped, the injuries would be severe.

Gwen was the first wolf he spotted, in the small clearing by the Hut that Merlin should have known they would find. Morgana was snarling, snapping towards her brother, who was cornering the creature that Merlin’s Magic had warned him off. As soon as he entered the clearing, he was dashing past the Alphas drawing rank behind the King, anger building.

‘Arthur! Back off!’ The Pack Leader looked so surprised, that he stumbled away in confusion, looking up at Merlin as he slowly crouched down and peered at the curled up ball of white.

‘Aithusa, come here.’ The Dragon peeked up, blue eyes wary of the wolves behind.

‘It’s okay, Arthur’s just being a prat.’ The Alpha huffed, but Merlin ignored him, beamed as his hatchling came across to his lap. Still so small, Kilgharrah had promised to keep an eye on him, but how could he? The Dragon was quite simply too feisty to be left alone.

‘There you go, why aren’t you with…’ He halted, realised that Arthur definitely did not need to know about the second Dragon. Aithusa looked up at him, and Merlin sighed.

‘I know. C’mon, you can’t stay here.’ The Dragon was far too heavy to keep carrying, so he took to the ground and went over to Morgana to explore the Wolf. She seemed curious, sniffed at him while Merlin went into the hut to clean it. It took no more than a spell, changing the blankets and topping up the water, adding some food. He didn’t need to do that, Aithusa could hunt for himself.

When he walked back out, he halted. Aithusa was showing off hire fire-breathing abilities, setting fire to small plants around the outskirt of the clearing.

‘Aithusa, if you set fire to the forest, you’ll be in trouble.’ He scolded lightly, the Dragon bounding back to his side, before moving towards his house.

Merlin turned to the King, wondered how he was ever going to explain any of that. The Wolf just stared, before barking to the others, and heading back into the trees.

That wasn’t good news.


	3. The Book

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaius has to explain to the group what he thinks Merlin might be

Arthur stopped his pacing the moment the door opened, felt every other wolf in the room panic.

‘Merlin, I…’ He halted, because it wasn’t the gangly manservant standing on the threshold, but Gaius. The Physician raised an eyebrow, a move with enough background for Arthur to wince, before he stepped into the room and shut the door. A brief moment of silence fell between the group.

‘I asked Merlin to remain in his room until I had spoken to you, Sire.’ Gaius eventually spoke, before moving across with a book in his hand. Arthur sighed, thought back to last night’s hunt. It had been something tugging him towards the clearing, and there he had found a scaled creature. Instinct told him to kill it, but Morgana had been making such a fuss. Then in came running Merlin, who not only soothed the damned thing, but had named it.

‘He’s a Dragonlord.’ Arthur remembered what had happened to the last one, Balinor, remembered Merlin’s tears afterwards. The King had told him not to cry, and he felt awful about it now. It had been Merlin that supported him when his Father died, that waited outside his room so he didn’t feel alone. What had he ever done for him?

‘Yes. Balinor was his father.’ The confirmation had him slumping down into his chair. Merlin had kept his Magic hidden for so long, and now this? He trusted Merlin with his life, knew that his idiotic manservant would do the same for him. But why keep the secrets?

‘I believe he was worried that you’d have to choose, between him and the law, Sire.’ Oh, he’d uttered the last bit aloud, or maybe Gaius was just better at reading him than he thought.

‘Why did you come?’ He asked, and the man straightened, offered out the book.

‘You wanted Merlin to join your Pack, but I think I should inform you of what he might become.’ That sounded dangerous, but before he could reach for the book, Morgana was snatching it away. Her eyes flicked over the page, confusion, then a slowly dawning understanding.

‘An Omega.’ Not a Beta or an Alpha? Arthur frowned, stared between his sister and Gaius.

‘Most of this… I’m trying to learn the old language, but…’ He’d have no luck either, then. Percival might be able to read it, but apart from that, Merlin was the only one of them especially fluent.

‘An Omega is a rare thing. Male Omegas are even rarer.’ The physician kept his hands clasped together, Morgana turning the book so that he could see the picture of a Pack of wolves.

‘Most werewolves turn into Betas, fewer into Alphas.’ They were already the exception there, he mused.

‘There should only be one Omega in a Pack, if there are any at all.’ Gaius did this thing when he was trying to avoid the main topic. He would give facts that, while useful, weren’t the story he needed to hear.

‘What is it, Gaius?’ The Physician briefly looked around the room, then back to him.

‘An Omega is often the Mate of the Pack, Sire.’ It didn’t make any sense, but Morgana beat him to the question.

‘Mate?’

‘Like you would pick a wife or husband, a werewolf picks a Mate. An Omega is the Mate of all those in the Pack.’ Realisation hit him in the face hard enough that he tensed up.

‘Does he know this?’ Gwen asked in a hurry, but Gaius shook his head.

‘He doesn’t want it to turn his ideas. I ask that you don’t tell him either, Sire. We may be… thinking all of this for nothing. Merlin could just turn out to be a Beta.’ They already knew that was a lie, Arthur could feel it.

He rarely disagreed with the beast inside of him, the part that was the Alpha of the Pack. Right now, it was begging him to hunt Merlin down, to bite down on his skin and watch as Merlin joined their Pack. An Omega, it seemed very pleased at the idea.

‘What about physical changes?’ Leon spoke up, and Gaius shrugged.

‘Nothing too different. An Omega is usually submissive to the rest of the Pack, but I doubt Merlin would follow that pattern. And, like your occasional ruts, he’ll have something similar.’ Arthur had only experienced one rut, and the only other person to do so was Leon. Not nice, and he couldn’t take one of the serving girls to bed for fear of his slightly different anatomy.

‘Fertile?’ Morgana was tapping the book, still trying to translate the passages. Gaius paused, then slowly nodded his head.

‘A Male Omega will be fertile, during his heats.’ The strangled sound came from one of the other Alphas, who were struggling just as much as he was to control the werewolf side of him. Morgana and Gwen just looked intrigued, but Arthur was stuck on the fact that Merlin could…

‘Sire, it’ll still be Merlin. An Omega bonds the Pack together, holds them in place. That’s what he’d be doing.’ He needed time to think, and more importantly, he needed to speak to his Pack.

**

‘So we’re all going to want to fuck Merlin?’ Gwaine’s crude language earnt him a slap from Elyan, before the group huddled back together. Morgana was amused at how worried the Alphas had become, she could smell the change in scent from here. They wanted Merlin in their Pack, and none of them had an issue with bedding him, that was obvious.

‘I already do.’ Morgana supplied helpfully, and her brother scowled. She snorted with amusement at his evident judgemental attitude. When would he learn that she spoke her mind?

‘It’s the cheekbones.’ Gwaine agreed, and Arthur’s hand came down onto the table.

‘Enough, both of you. We… we aren’t animals. We can control ourselves.’ Morgana wanted to point out that they were animals, that was the entire idea of this transition. Giving in to instincts that meant there was no social norms, no reason why eight people couldn’t like the same man.

‘And if we can’t?’

‘Then Merlin would stop you.’ She knew how powerful his Magic was, even if Arthur was still oblivious to what his manservant actually was.

Before Arthur could reply, the door opened, Merlin wandering in without bothering to knock. He halted when he spotted all of them, before rolling his eyes in the usual fashion.

‘Typical, one morning without me and you’ve already forgotten that you’re due with the Council.’ Her brother swore under his breath, rising from his chair and giving them all a look that bid them to silence. He looked to the stack of papers that Morgana presumed he needed to have sorted, before Merlin was coming back from where he’d moved to the wardrobe.

‘Jacket, give me your arm you prat, what’s got you so moody?’ Arthur let himself be dressed, then scowled at Merlin, who just cheekily smiled up.

‘You did the papers, right?’ Merlin knew he hadn't, was just trying to wind him up.

‘Did the part about running during the full moon escape your notice, Merlin?’ He said his manservant’s name in that annoying way, emphasising the first part.

‘No, which is why I did them for you. My handwriting isn’t too different.’ Merlin leant over, grabbed for some of the papers like he knew exactly what they were, before offering them out. It would have taken hours to complete, Morgana could see that, and Arthur’s eyebrows shot up to his hairline.

Merlin was already binding them together, he just hadn't noticed it.


	4. Bite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin's bit

‘So you still want me to join you?’ Merlin asked, straightening Arthur’s bedsheets as the King ate his breakfast. Merlin knew that Gaius had spoken to him, had expected more of a response. Maybe being an Omega wasn’t that bad, if Arthur had nothing to say about it. Or maybe he was still annoyed that he’d never told him about the Dragon. That had come up again, with Merlin promising that Aithusa would never harm Camelot.

‘It’s your decision, Merlin.’ Arthur didn’t look up from his breakfast. Either he was hiding something, which would be impressive considering Arthur usually couldn’t even do normal tasks without his assistance, or the King was just hungry.

‘And if I told you I’d already made my mind up?’ The King halted at that, looked across to where Merlin was standing. The Warlock forced himself to hold the stare, watched as Arthur rose up from the chair and moved across.

‘I’d ask if you were sure.’

Merlin’s destiny was to protect Arthur. He had let his guard down once before, and it had ended with Arthur being cursed. This time, he would stay close. He’d protect the entire group, and like Morgana had said, his Magic wasn’t a problem. If he needed it, he’d just transition back.

‘Positive.’ He knew how this bit worked. He’d be bitten, and then would spend the first day feeling slightly ill. Then he’d transition, whether it was a full moon or not, and the rest of the Pack would run with him if he called. The others had all howled at the moon, demanded the attention of the Pack. He was hoping he’d do the same.

‘Then we should get you to the spare Chambers.’ It was where the group stayed when they’d been bit. Merlin had seen the attitude changes of each one of them, Morgana had been the worst. Gwen had cried a lot during the first day. Leon had a weird obsession with strawberries, almost as bad as Gwaine’s love of apples. Little quirks that shone through during the first day, and Merlin wondered what his would be like.

‘Okay.’

**

Arthur didn’t want to hurt Merlin, but this part would sting slightly. The Chambers had been decided to be fully enclosed, so that they could be sealed for a day until the transformation. Once the shift happened, there was a grate that led down to the tunnels under the Castle, and out to the forest. Merlin would be alone, until he called for them.

‘Ready?’ He didn’t want to admit that he was nervous. Biting the others had been because of their demands, wanting to be like him. Merlin was the only one who took time to consider the proposal, and was the one that Arthur wanted the most. He didn’t even know what he’d become, didn’t know what being an Omega meant.

‘Just get it over with.’ Merlin joked, even if he was shaking slightly. Arthur took a step closer, Merlin offering out his arm. It was the easiest place to bite, it wouldn’t take long for the wound to heal.

‘It can be slightly painful, but…’ He jumped when Merlin’s hand closed over his, more affection than he’d usually allow. His manservant was always affectionate, whereas Arthur preferred to keep a distance.

‘I’ll be fine.’ He promised, and Arthur found those eyes too expressive. He brought Merlin’s arm up, let his teeth drop and waited for him to pull away. When Merlin just smiled, the King sighed. Too loyal, that was the only fault with Merlin.

He bit quickly, tasted blood and pulled away sharply. Merlin didn’t even flinch, just stared at the wound with a weird expression.

‘Right, if you need us…’ Merlin snorted with amusement, reached for a piece of fabric to wrap the arm. Arthur looked once more, the last time he’d see Merlin as a human. After this, he’d be one of them, bonded to them.

**

‘Is he alright?’

‘You know we’re not allowed to disturb.’ Gwen knew that Arthur was nervous about this transition. That Merlin was someone that was close to him, closer than any of them.

‘Merlin’s tough, he’ll be fine.’ Gwaine provided, which did nothing to comfort him. They were all having dinner, it had been half a day since Merlin had been bitten. Morgana had assured them that she could still feel his Magic, which Arthur had been shocked at.

‘Can you smell him yet?’ Morgana asked, and Gwen looked around. Alphas were better at scenting, Gwen still struggled to track down others people.

‘Not yet.’ Arthur stated, staring at his still-full plate.

**

Merlin’s stomach ached. Actually, it was closer to a burn. He grumbled, rolled over onto the soft sheets and stared at the dark sky. This was stupid, he had no reason to be feeling miserable. Already he was starting to feel the benefits of the bite, it had healed to nothing more than a few silvery marks.

He gave up of the bed, rose and moved across to the dressing table. He took a seat, looked down to his hands, then to the mirror on the desk. It was easy to pick up, even if he was shaking slightly, to turn it upwards and halt.

His eyes weren’t blue anymore. No, they were freckled with gold, and Merlin felt his Magic flare up.

 _‘Morgana!’_ He knew that she’d heard him, rose and began to panic at the evident issue that he had. Gold in his eyes, people would be able to tell he had Magic! Oh no, this couldn’t happen, he had to keep it hidden!

When the Beta knocked on the door, Merlin threw it open and fell into her arms. She caught him with ease, hugged him back as he sobbed into her shoulder.

‘Merlin, what… Oh my.’ Her eyes were focused on his, seeing the problem that he saw.

‘I can’t, oh Gods everyone will know! I have to…’

‘They’re beautiful.’ She whispered, her hand reaching out to cup his cheek. A thumb darted under his eye, brushing along the skin carefully, and Merlin tilted into the touch. It was rare that anyone showed him this kind of affection, let alone someone he returned the sentiment for.

‘Your scent has changed as well, you… glow.’ He watched as her eyes darkened, roamed over him carefully. It took him a moment to be able to scent her like she could with him, a sweet scent of honey with an undertone of the fiery Magic that he knew lay beneath her skin.

‘I’m sorry, I should not have called you.’ It went against the rules, and it would be bad if anyone learned of the fact that Morgana had come to his room at night. She took a step back, rocking away from him like it was hard to do so.

‘It’s fine. Maybe… rest. We’ll figure something out, a spell.’ Distracted, too busy staring at his eyes, and Merlin watched as she stumbled away and shut the door between them.

It was only after her scent faded that he realised the ache in his stomach had vanished entirely.


	5. Run Wild

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Freya stars in this chapter, and Morgana's definitely leading the seducing-Merlin team

The forest blurred around him, but Merlin didn’t care if he was running fast. Branches broke under his weight, the sprint quicker than he would ever dare, darting through the trees with the low light keeping him hidden. Camelot’s woods were familiar to him as a man, but as a wolf, there was something terrifyingly haunting about the space. His senses recognised his path, guided him until he skidded to a halt, dug his paws down into the sandy shore.

The Lake of Avalon looked gorgeous at night. Dark water, moonlight rippling over the surface, the trees that lined the bank protecting the space. Sacred, far too beautiful for him to ignore, taking another step closer. His reflection shocked him, the mixture of golden and blue in his eyes, then the bright silvery grey that had replaced his pale skin.

‘You look stunning.’ He rose his muzzle to the woman standing in the lake, watched as she walked towards him. It felt weird, like he was slightly detached from his body. Like he was sitting behind all of this, the wolf was up front, tilting into her touch.

‘Oh Merlin, when they told me… I didn’t think you’d be this beautiful.’ The Lady of the Lake crouched down, ran her hand through his fur and to the back of his ear, until he looked up to her bright eyes.

‘The only one of your kind.’ Wasn’t he already the only one of his kind? The last Dragonlord, the only Warlock, and now the only Omega. He could tell it, his scent was strange, and he was smaller than he’d anticipated. Almost the size of a hunting dog, probably half the size of Percival.

‘With special perks, of course.’ She assured, tracking her hand down his flank and then halting. He wanted to be able to speak to her, to ask what she meant, but the words were caught. The only sound that came out was a whine, and Freya smiled.

‘Use your Magic, Merlin. You can still talk.’ He’d forgotten about that, had presumed it wouldn’t work considering he was a wolf.

 ** _‘You knew this would happen?’_** Her smile brightened, hands exploring the thick fur around his neck.

‘It was predicted, from the moment Arthur became a creature of Magic.’ Brilliant, it seemed he was the only person that was still attempting to run away from Destiny.

 ** _‘Why can I still feel my Magic?’_** He’d expected it to be like Morgana described, a warmth that was bundled deep down. For him, his power had always been instinctive. He’d had to hide it multiple times, it reacted naturally during times of stress or anguish, he had to learn to control it.

‘Because you can use Magic without needing the ability to speak. Morgana is still learning such a gift.’ Ah, so it was because he was a Warlock. Instinctive Magic, it would respond the same as usual. That soothed some of his fears about the shifting, at least he could still protect the group.

From somewhere within the woods, he could feel a familiar presence coming closer. A strong scent, of leather-oil and pine trees and undoubtable masculinity that made him tense. Beyond that, more people he recognised, and finally Morgana’s bright scent. Not in wolf-form, probably tracking him. He hadn't been silent escaping the Castle, had run down the tunnels as fast as his new form would carry him. They were probably annoyed that he hadn't called for him yet, they couldn’t shift outside of the full-moon until he did.

‘You can sense them, can’t you?’ Freya whispered, in awe. Merlin nodded, let his Magic creep out to the ground around them. From the water’s surface, tiny little orbs of light began to form, sparkling up and hovering over the dark lake. His Magic, responding perfectly to him as it always had.

‘I told you, your Magic is fine. Stronger, if anything.’ He agreed, he didn’t even need to focus on the lake to summon the light. Arthur was closing in quickly, but Freya didn’t leave. She kept a smile on her face, turned to the bright light that was radiating off the surface.

‘And your eyes don’t change from their new hybrid colour.’ Another thing he was unsure about. Morgana had agreed to look into such a thing, but what if she couldn’t…

‘Merlin?’ He spun, growled without even meaning to. Arthur halted in his step, hand reaching for his sword, Freya rising up and holding her hands up in surrender.

‘At ease, King Arthur. I mean you no harm.’ Merlin turned back to Freya, walked around her legs and smiling when the water chilled his paws. The Knights came out of the shadows, Gwen by her brother’s side, Morgana…

‘Is this her?’ Merlin moved out of the way as Morgana came forward, before the Lady curtseyed politely.

‘There’s no need, Lady Morgana. You are quite the sorceress.’ She looked pleased, the two of them speaking freely about Magic, while Merlin turned back to the lights on the lake.

‘You should not shift to your wolf forms. Not until the full moon, it… I cannot quite say what will happen, but I assure you, instinct will take over.’ Freya was looking at Arthur, who still was torn between slicing her apart, or stepping back.

‘Instinct?’ Gwaine asked, Freya turning her attention to him.

‘Wolf-instinct. Merlin can shift at any time, and can command you to as well. But when you do for the first time, you might find your wolves slightly… temperamental.’ She was back to stroking his ears, so Merlin wasn’t really paying attention, pleased with the attention.

‘Why should we trust you?’ Arthur snapped, the Lady of the Lake smiling softly. She stepped back further into the water, Merlin whining in annoyance. He didn’t really want to be left with them, there would be so many questions.

‘Because she’s in love with Merlin, and wouldn’t hurt him?’ Morgana pointed out, and he felt something in his heart stab. The wolf-side wasn’t too bothered, but he remembered all too well what happened to Freya when he lost her. Morgana’s words made her pause, turning back to him with a sad expression.

‘Stay safe, Merlin. Come and visit me whenever.’ He watched as she walked back into the Lake, the dark water engulfing her slowly.

‘That was…’

‘Why have the lights not gone out?’ Arthur asked, Gwaine poking at one with his hand. He gasped when it danced over his skin, up his arm and then in front of his face, before returning back towards the lake.

‘That’s Merlin’s Magic, not hers.’ Morgana cheerfully exclaimed, looking to Merlin. He was still staring at where Freya had last been, wondering what she meant when she said instinct would take over.

Looking back, he saw some shocked faces. Ah, the Magic, he focused on the lights and drew them back without a word, Morgana’s smile growing.

‘Show off.’ He let his chest rumble, nudged up against her thigh until she eventually placed a hand into his fur.

‘You never cease to amaze.’ She whispered quietly, but the others still picked up on. Merlin just snorted, or would have done, let the eye roll show how he felt about the statement.


	6. Scent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin figures it out

Merlin kept up with Morgana, who led the way back. She kept a light around her hand, not that Merlin needed it, he was quite happy to wander in the dark.

‘I’ve never seen a silver wolf.’ Morgana spoke aloud for the first time in a while, Merlin snapping his head up to her. She smiled down, her hood down and hair around her shoulders. Rather pretty really, if Merlin ever allowed himself to think such a thing.

‘I suppose you just had to be different.’ She teased, and Merlin nudged at her leg. Her hand came down to rest on his head, Merlin leaning into the touch. They had been close before this; he was the one to help her learn to control her Magic. They’d sneak out together in the middle of the night, just like this, and spend the time practicing.

‘And your smell… I could scent you all the way from my room.’ That was an odd thought, he looked up and found her cheeks slightly flushed, despite the dark. Merlin looked back to the others, watched as quite a few of them pretended they hadn't been staring. What did he smell like? He moved back towards them, tucked up around Gwen’s legs and then nudged at Gwaine. Even he looked flushed, and Merlin wondered what was wrong?

‘Do you know what an Omega is?’ Morgana broke into the moment, and he glanced back to her curiously. Whatever it was, it was making the group look at him with weird expressions. And then there was what Freya said, about how he shouldn’t call for them to change until the full-moon. Giving him time to settle, to let them get used to him, but why? Would they attack?

‘They are supposed to unite the Pack.’ She whispered, and Merlin wondered why they all looked so guilty. What was he not understanding about…

‘Physically.’ Oh. Merlin halted, resulting Gwen almost tripping over him. Quite a few of them were now waiting for his reaction, while he tried to process what Morgana had just said.

Physically. They found his wolf… attractive? Or his scent?

The thing that he was drawn back to was the fact that they knew. Arthur had known, before biting him, that Merlin would probably become an Omega. That he’d become the Pack’s binding. Yet he’d still done it, implying he was fine with whatever Merlin’s role became.

All of them? He was glad he was in his wolf-form, otherwise he’d be blushing the colour of the Knights’ capes. How did that even work? No, the less he knew the better, they would figure this out at the next full moon. He had time to settle into this role.

They were still waiting for his reaction, so Merlin puffed his chest up slightly and swaggered across to her, shooting what he hoped was a smug look. Morgana laughed, and Merlin nipped at her playfully before taking off into the trees.

**

‘Ugh.’

‘It gets better.’ Gwen promised, watched as Merlin tried to raise his head. She’d put a blanket over him to keep his modesty, had averted her eyes even though her wolf-side had a much better idea. Now, she watched as Merlin lay sprawled out on the floor, next to his ripped clothes. With the night spent in the woods, she understood how tired he’d feel. The exhaustion was already submerging him, she could see that.

‘I feel like I’ve been sat on by all of the Knights.’ She didn’t want to know why he’d thought about what that would feel like.

‘You’ll feel better after a nap.’ She offered, watched as his eyes flicked across to her. Blue speckled with gold, a bright gaze that she felt drawn to. Her heart sped up, and before really thinking about what she was doing, a hand had made it into his dark curls. Merlin seemed pleased, a sound falling from his lips that had Gwen moving closer.

‘Gwen…’

‘Yes?’ Her voice had changed, she realised. Softer, sweeter.

‘Would you have wanted me, had this not made you?’ It broke her heart, the way he looked up at her shyly. She was reaching for him, watching as he sat up until they were both on the floor, barely any distance between them.

‘You know how I feel for you, Merlin.’ How she’d felt ever since she’d met him. A sharp tongue, an even sharper mind.

‘And you’d share me with all of them?’ Did he realise how much they all adored him? The Omega, and she couldn’t quite believe she was referring to him as that, cocked his head to one side in curiosity.

The Beta in her made the decision, closed the distance between them to brush her lips against his. He melted into her touch, and although the kiss was brief, it had her wolf itching to break free. She controlled it, blinked back the yellow eyes that she knew she’d be sporting, dug her nails into her palm to stop the claws.

‘It isn’t like that, Merlin. Your ours, and we are yours.’ The manservant smirked slowly, licked his lips just once and then used those big puppy-dog eyes that she could never resist.

‘I think I need a little more convincing.’

**

Leon was nominated, mostly because he was the only one of the Knights that actually listened to the King. He went to the Chambers that were used for shifting, knocked on the door twice before opening it quickly.

‘Oh Gods, sorry!’ It took him a moment to fully realise what he was seeing, Gwen and Merlin both kneeling on the floor kissing, the sweetest scent he’d ever smelt coming from Merlin. Gwen pulled back, squeaked as she rose up and dusted down her dress, attempted to look respectable.

Merlin looked downright sinful, swollen lips and rosy cheeks, his hair messy and eyes dark. Leon only managed to regain control once he’d strode into the room, stopped sharply and looked away from the sight.

‘Arthur- the King, the King wants to see you. Us. Uh, the group.’ He cleared his throat, wished that he could forget everything he’d just seen, could walk away from that scent and not feel like he was about to pounce on the Omega if he stayed a moment longer.

Then there was the fact that Merlin was wrapped in just a blanket, and his Alpha demanded that he rip it away, to continue what Gwen had started.

‘We’ll give you some space to dress.’ Gwen whispered, took Leon’s hand and tugged him from the room.

Only once the door was shut did he realise that his eyes had changed, that he could feel sharper teeth pressing against his lips.

‘Shit.’ Gwen chuckled, not at all offended that he’d just sworn.

‘My thoughts exactly.’ 

Leon walked her to Arthur’s Chambers, opened the door and tried not to show that something had happened. Unfortunately, the King was a very observant person when it came to his Pack, could read them far better than he’d hoped.

‘What happened?’

‘I… it was my fault. Merlin just… he smelled so good.’ Gwen had a dreamy expression on her face, Leon watching as the King looked from her, to Leon in expectance.

‘Uh, Gwen was, they were…’ He halted, unsure of how to even try and explain what had just happened. Morgana looked amused, smiled at him reassuringly.

‘It was his scent, right?’

‘Irresistible.’ Gwen admitted, cheeks darkening.

‘Control yourselves, both of you. How bad can it b…’ Arthur was cut off the second the door opened, and Leon turned to reveal Merlin, dressed in his normal attire.

The Omega was smirking as well, the smug bastard.


	7. Scent shifting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin's figuring himself out, Arthur's being lazy and Morgana is a legend

Merlin shifted in the chair, his stomach was beginning to ache again, and Arthur was still rattling on about how they would accept his Magic and keep him safe. Honestly, he was more concerned about the fact that everyone was staring at him like he was lunch. Gwen was still blushing deeply, Leon firmly looking anywhere but at Merlin.

He licked his lips, remembered the feel of Gwen pressed up against him. Soft, yet oddly bold in her movements. Merlin had resisted the urge to roll back and let her take charge, wondered what exactly being an Omega meant. Like now, one half of him longed to annoy Arthur, to wind him up until he inevitably ended up in the stocks.

The other half wanted to curl up, to tilt his head to the side and flutter his eyelashes at the group. He wasn’t sure what it would achieve, but it would feel good, he was sure.

‘Are you even listening to me, Merlin?’ His name was said in the typical way, the annoyance and sarcasm blending in with the fondness that the Warlock knew the King felt.

‘Uh, yes?’ He tried, watched Arthur roll his eyes.

‘I was saying that we need to work on our new balance. Finding out where we fit.’ Which implied Arthur was equally as affected as the others. Merlin placed a hand to his stomach, trying to relieve the ache that was building up, noticed that some followed the movement.

‘Are you hurt?’ Leon asked, his concern causing the others to pay attention.

‘Not really, just feeling… odd.’ Really odd, but he presumed it would settle with time. It hadn't hurt when Gwen was kissing him, or when Morgana had reached for him. He decided to test the theory, leant against Percival slightly, who was to his right. The moment he was pressed against the Knight, the ache faded.

Huh.

‘We should try and act as we normally do.’ Arthur tried once again to get them back on track, but Merlin was too busy marvelling over the fact that Percival had wrapped an arm around him. Maybe it wasn’t all so bad, this new change that had him attracting the attention of all of the group.

Then he remembered that Gaius would want to know everything, and he decided that there were some things that it would be wise to keep from his Uncle.

**

‘Up you get, Lazy Daisy!’ Merlin called, and Arthur grumbled. He buried his head under the pillow, but it did little to stop the sweet scent from filling his mind.

‘S’too early.’ He slurred, then yelped when Merlin yanked him out from under his escape. The manservant then went for the curtains, Arthur only just managing to block out the sun in time.

‘You’ve got training and a Council meeting today.’ Merlin’s jovial tone was already annoying him, Arthur wondering if throwing something at his manservant was a good idea.

‘If you don’t shut up…’ Arthur warned. Merlin, as he usually did, ignored him entirely. The wardrobe was thrown open, clothes going flying in different directions as the man picked out his outfit for the day. Arthur propped himself up, rubbed the sleep from his eyes and then glared at the sorcerer running around his room.

‘You’ll what?’ That was the thing about Merlin, he always seemed to egg him on. Did he want to be sent to the stocks?

‘I’ll see how you like being dragged from your bed.’ That… came out slightly different from how he’d intended it to. What shocked him even more was the way Merlin halted, eyes widening and the dark in his eyes expanding rapidly. Arthur took note of all those things, and the way a hand went to his stomach. Merlin had assured them it didn’t hurt, but Arthur wasn’t convinced.

‘I’ll, er, get your armour ready.’ And with that, the sorcerer fled. Arthur sighed, flopped back onto the bed and tried to wonder what on earth had just happened.

**

Merlin worked at the scratch on the armour with aggression, a pleased smile forming when he managed to work it out. He rose his head to look across to where Arthur was with the Round Table Knights, getting slightly distracted by the fact they’d stripped off most of their armour. He knew each of their fighting techniques well, could probably write a full report on the tactics they used to disarm an opponent.

Each of them had their strengths, but also weaknesses. They rarely showed the latter, working so well as a team that the fights were impressive. It was only when Elyan looked across that Merlin realised he’d got thoroughly distracted by them, swallowing heavily and looking back down.

‘You’re pouring off sweet scent, Merlin.’ He jumped slightly as Lady Morgana appeared by his side, looking rather stunning in a gown of dark blue.

‘I can’t help it. It just happens.’ It didn’t. He’d already figured out that the change in his scent usually happened when the others were around, especially when they were doing something that Merlin might consider attractive. Take wielding swords and showing off their muscles, for example.

‘And it had nothing to do with the sweaty men?’ She teased, Merlin trying to control his racing heart. It was true, they did look rather… sweaty.

‘Of course not.’ He lied, watched as the sorceress moved around to sit by his side.

‘You’re scent changes whenever you find one of us attractive.’ By this point, he’d just about managed to reel back the change in his scent, was happy with the fact he’d controlled it. Hah, it would be just like his Magic, he’d have no issues with this.

‘I have no idea what you’re talking about.’ So maybe he had to work on the lying part, but he could totally control this. He even risked a look back to where the group were training, smiled proudly when the honey-scent didn’t change.

‘Really?’ Morgana quipped, looking amused. He went to say something awesome, or at least he hoped it would have been awesome.

It was interrupted by a pair of lips against his, two light fingers pressing under his chin and tilting it up to deepen the kiss. He had barely any time to startle, or time to properly kiss back, because Morgana was pulling away.

Too late, he realised, to stop his scent from changing. He watched as a slow smirk spread across her lips, before she rose back up.

‘You’re a horrible liar.’ She remarked, smoothing her skirts out and walking back in the direction of the Castle.

‘What about the kiss?’ He asked her, and the woman laughed.

‘Room for improvement.’

Merlin hated her.


	8. Approaching Heat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The time now running up to both Merlin's heat, and the full moon

A pattern began to form. Merlin would continue his normal chores, whilst making sure to flaunt his new scent at the group of werewolves that could smell him. It was especially fun to do so in big groups of people, where they had no chance of doing anything about it. Morgana would look proud of him, Gwen would flush the darkest of shades. The Knights had varying reactions, Gwaine loving the new boldness that came, Elyan always trying to hide his amusement. Lancelot would try and pretend he wasn’t affected, while Percival stayed quiet as usual.

Leon was the funniest, because he looked so confused. He evidently wanted to act on such things, but he held back, waiting for Arthur’s command. The King managed to pretend like nothing was happening, so Merlin became more determined.

Take this boring Council meeting, for example. Merlin was standing by Arthur’s side, as his position always was. The Knights were in the room, but the focus was on the Council. They were rattling on about Magic, about the laws that were changing. Merlin rocked back on his feet, met Gwen’s gaze across the room.

Bored. He was bored. He could be finishing off his chores, or attempting to do some more research on spells. Anything other than standing beside his King.

Morgana had told him that his scent shifted when he thought of them. That was true, and so Merlin let the daydreams began.

Of them as wolves, running through the woods. Freedom beyond belief. Of the Knights training, rolling in the dirt whilst Merlin watched. Or better yet, let them be slightly rough with him. To go to Lady Morgana’s room, to find Gwen there as well, and let them confuse him with their sweet words and bright smiles.

He had never really had anyone like that. Will and him had once tumbled down by the river, and then there had been the kiss from Freya. That was it, and he felt so very unsure when it came to the Pack. Each of them had experience that he didn’t, and he quite enjoyed it. Liked being so unsure, relying on them.

His scent had changed, he could tell by the way Arthur had shifted in his chair. Merlin kept it up, thoughts progressing to things that definitely were not appropriate for the room they were currently in. To the fact he knew exactly what Arthur looked like under his clothes, to the fact that he had once awkwardly sat on the side when the Knights swam in the lake.

They’d looked good. Strong muscles, wet and slippery as they tried to topple each other.

‘… and so the Council would like to… Sire? Are you alright?’ Merlin blinked back his dreaming, realised that the King’s grip on the chair was far too tight. White-knuckled.

‘Fine, just… slightly tired. Could we finish this report and then continue tomorrow?’ The man agreed to the terms, finishing off his report quickly.

Merlin was back to wondering how he had such control over his scent. Then he realised that his stomach was rolling over and over, tightening in a way that was painful. He could smell them in the room, each of his Alphas and his Betas. More than that, he felt their reactions to him. Their racing heartbeats, the arousal.

Gods, what was happening to him? He was a complete mess, and for some reason, he could feel a weird heat between his thighs. Not like the one he was used to, either.

The Council were beginning to pack up, but Merlin feared they weren’t going fast enough. His thighs felt slightly damp, his body aching all over. Was it because the full moon was coming? With six days until the night, Merlin thought he wouldn’t respond so soon. The room was swelteringly hot, Merlin could barely stand it, he felt ready to keel over at any given moment.

As soon as the Council had departed, Arthur turned to Merlin, but the Omega was close to bursting.

‘Sorry! Sorry, I… I’ll sort it.’ And with that, he dashed from the room as quickly as he dared. Nobody paid much attention as he ran to his room, noted that Gaius wasn’t in as he shut the door and locked it behind him.

His tunic was abandoned, trousers quickly joining the pile as he dropped down to the flimsy sheets. His smallclothes were shoved off next, Merlin reaching a hand to wrap around himself, before he paused.

Further between his thighs, a sticky wetness that he didn’t quite recognise, felt his cheeks heat up as he located the source. It had to be because of the shift to an Omega, Merlin concluded. The heat in his belly dwindled when he began to investigate the new feelings, the Warlock thanking whoever was out there for some privacy.

**

‘I can still smell him.’ Arthur grumbled, looking tempted to bang his head repeatedly against the table. Morgana agreed, to an extent. Merlin smelt delicious, and there was little doubt as to why he had fled the room. Something was changing the closer they got the full-moon, their wolves becoming more prominent in control.

‘Smells like a damn buffet.’ Gwaine supplied, sitting back in the chair and his hand disappearing under the table. She didn’t blame him, she was dying for a little privacy so that she could get the scent out of her head.

‘This full moon is going to be interesting.’ Lancelot muttered to himself. Gwen was sitting by the open window, like she hoped that breathing in the fresh air might help overpower Merlin’s scent. By the looks of it, the plan wasn’t working.

‘Bloody hell.’ Elyan’s foul language had her chuckling, before the sweet smell began to fade away. Whatever Merlin had been doing, and she really shouldn’t be thinking about it, he had stopped.

‘Saved.’ She looked to her brother, rose an eyebrow in amusement. They weren’t saved. If this was going to get stronger between now and the full moon, then they would have to figure out how not to ravage Merlin in front of the entire Council.

**

Gaius eyed him up curiously, and Merlin could tell he was blushing. He sat down awkwardly, looked at the bowl of supper in front of him, then up to his Uncle.

‘Did you have a good day?’ Attempting small-talk never worked, but he was still going to try. Gaius raised an eyebrow at him, the dreaded eyebrow, and Merlin swallowed.

‘I heard the King dismissed his Council today. Then you were spotted running through the corridors.’ The thing about Gaius was that it was hard to keep anything from him. He tried to focus on the stew, but he knew his Uncle wouldn’t give up until he told him.

‘Something’s changing.’ He admitted, risking a quick peek up to the physician. Gaius had seen and heard everything, Merlin knew that, but this man was a father-figure to him.

‘With you?’

‘Yes.’ And with them, but because of him.

‘Physically?’ Merlin nodded again, swallowed down some of the stew and tried not to panic.

‘I can assure you, I’ve seen most things.’ He knew that was true. He just… had to get it into his head, that Gaius wasn’t going to judge.

‘They can all… smell me. I have no control over it, or very little, and it sucks.’ It sucked, because it was affecting him as well. He wanted to give in, but how would such a thing even work? Gaius looked thoughtful, took a bite of his dinner before pausing.

‘I think, from what I’ve read, the full moon should settle most things. As for whatever you aren’t telling me…’

‘How did you know?’ Merlin asked, watched as Gaius chuckled.

‘My boy, I know almost everything about you.’

Creepy.


	9. Full Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin being a lil slut

Merlin shifted, grinned when he heard Arthur’s howl. It took him a moment to get all his limbs back under control, to figure out how to move forwards and break into a light jog across to where the others were shifting. He noticed the pain in his stomach that he’d come to realise could only be soothed by them, and it was a lot worse now that they were in wolf-form.

The woods provided them cover, not only to shift, but to gather. He headed towards the clearing, following the scent that guided him. It had to be instinct, the thing driving him now that he was in wolf-form. It was only his second shift, but it hadn't hurt at all. Like he was meant to be in this form.

Gwaine was the first to arrive, and Merlin was surprised by the dark in his eyes. His scent was tempting, and Merlin tipped his head to the side, welcoming the Alpha closer. That sweet scent was back, the one that Merlin had produced last time, and he caught Gwaine’s expression the moment the Knight identified it. Identified it better than he could, Merlin was still unsure about what the slickness was.

 _‘Bloody hell, Merlin.’_ It was weird, to hear Gwaine’s voice inside his head, and Merlin pressed closer. Demanded attention, wanted Gwaine to make the ache in his stomach disappear. He could hear others coming closer, Morgana’s alluring scent drawing his gaze. Each of them circled him like a predator, eyed him up and down and tried to get closer. Muzzles pressing to his skin, soft touches or nips of teeth, and Merlin knew the heat between his thighs had returned.

Gwen pressed up to his side, soft against him, and Merlin fought the overwhelming urge to drop down. To spread his thighs, or just to whine.

Then Arthur entered the clearing. Each wolf retreated, bowed their heads to the Pack Alpha, and Merlin lost all coherent thought. He was dropping down to his belly before he could stop himself, tilting his head to the side and watching as Arthur’s muzzle pressed against him. Warm, reassuring, before he nipped at his skin and nudged until he rolled over.

Exposed, and it took a moment to realise what he could smell. Arthur, his scent stronger than normal. He wasn’t the only one affected, the others in the group were trembling desperately.

 _‘Merlin.’_ It echoed in his mind, he could even _hear_ it in Arthur’s tone. He squirmed, waited for whatever Arthur was about to do, whatever he wanted.

Merlin felt like an animal. Well, he supposed he was one, but this was ridiculous. He wanted Arthur to just do something, to… take him. That thought brought a slickness between his thighs, Arthur’s eyes darting down his body, before back up.

 _‘Please._ ’ He whined, watched as Arthur grumbled. He nuzzled against his neck, down across his stomach curiously, before halting.

If Arthur wasn’t going to give Merlin what he wanted, then Merlin would get somebody else that wound. He rose back up, limbs protesting and his stomach burning, watching as the others looked him over. Each hesitant, not wanting to go against Arthur. Even Gwaine was hanging back. Who knew it would take him being bitten and turned into a wolf, to finally obey Arthur’s command.

It was, amusingly, Leon that moved first. His wolf walked across, and Merlin smirked as he was circled. As Leon licked at his muzzle, Merlin rubbing against him like a cat in heat. The Alpha shuddered, before Arthur’s glare drove him back as well.

Heat. That was what this felt like, a burning heat in his stomach that was dying for one of them to do something.

‘One of you going to do something?’ He teased, let his tail swing between his thighs. The wolves studied him, then looked to Arthur, and the Alpha seemed torn. Waiting, torn between the right thing, and the wrong.

So, Merlin decided to be a little brave. To move to Arthur’s side, to press against him and beg. Let his eyes plead, watched as Arthur tried to decide what to do.

‘Is it the fun of the chase?’ Merlin asked, tried to aim the question at all of them, still unsure how this communication worked. Arthur’s eyes widened, before Merlin turned quickly and fled.

Running was hard, with his stomach tightening and his mind going fuzzy. He let the trees melt into a blur, scampered away and heard Arthur howl in acceptance. It was time for the Hunt, for the wolves to act as a Pack. He could hear them racing through the trees, could smell which ones were closest.

It was exhilarating. For all his abilities, for all he had done in his life, this was by far the best idea he’d ever had. His Magic was bubbling under his skin, his Omega demanding that he drop down and let them catch him. But this was the fun part, teasing them by racing away, making them see that he was fully capable of whatever this had become.

Plus, there was the benefit of the fact that the animals weren’t being hunted. Merlin’s Magic was very happy with that, and he couldn’t help but think this was why he was here. This was why he had been chosen to join the Pack together, to keep them bonded.

Behind him, three wolves were racing up his left flank. It was to make him turn, he understood what they were doing, and he snorted with amusement as he picked up the pace. One thing about being small was that he could turn quickly, let his Magic guide him through Camelot’s treacherous woods. Never too far from Castle, he ran around the border with them closing in, before realising his mistake.

By turning, he’d allowed Arthur and Leon to sneak up in front. He skidded to a stop, eyeing up the golden Alpha that appeared on the track in front, then halted when Morgana’s wolf appeared behind him. Boxing him in, rather like he was a doe, and Merlin pricked his ears to the side as Gwaine and Lancelot appeared.

Elyan and Percival to his right, Gwen skirting towards Morgana’s side. Completely outsmarted in such a short period of time, and he had to admit, he was impressed.

They were waiting for him to submit, to respect the fact that they had caught him. Merlin looked around, and finding no space to flee again, he finally turned back to Arthur.

There was something altogether thrilling about his gaze, the way he was looking at Merlin like he would finally take what he wanted.

He held the gaze, slowly sat back, then dropped down to his stomach. Waiting, daring Arthur to move.

This time, the Alpha didn’t hesitate.


	10. Mine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Smut. That's basically it

Arthur had tried so hard to wait until they could shift back. But Merlin was addictive, in all the most enticing ways. And Arthur’s Alpha was firmly in charge, had been ever since Merlin fled. The Hunt had driven him insane, chasing the Omega by his scent, tracking him through the darkness like he would with prey.

Merlin knew when he was caught, halted as he studied each of them. Finally, his gaze drifted to Arthur, and the Alpha felt his heart catch. He strode across the clearing, watching as the other wolves eyed him up curiously. They wouldn’t go against his orders, even if they wanted to. Merlin had tried tempting them, he could tell they were all close to snapping.

He wasn’t even sure what he was doing, but he was at Merlin’s side before he could try and understand what was going on. Merlin had sunk low, offered out his neck in a sign of submission, but Arthur wanted more than that.

 _‘Shift.’_ He didn’t even know if it was possible, what he was asking Merlin to do. One of his Knights made to move forwards, but Arthur growled low. This was not their time, this was not their wolf. Arthur was the Pack Leader, he got first priority on the Hunt.

Merlin’s bones cracked as he shifted, Arthur watching as the white fur turned into pale skin. When there was a human lying under him, he lay a paw on Merlin’s arm, bidding him to stay still. The Omega’s skin was burning to the touch, fiery hotness that Arthur almost winced at. He squirmed under the grip, staring up at Arthur with eyes that were almost entirely dark, sweat shining off his skin and his cheeks flushed.

Also naked. Arthur dared to look, drifted his gaze down Merlin’s body. Nothing hidden to his eyes, Merlin willingly waiting for him to react, and Arthur’s wolf demanded he take what was rightfully his.

But Arthur needed Merlin’s consent, would never hurt his Omega. Even if his thighs were shiny and wet, his body humming with Magic that even Arthur could feel. He would still walk away if Merlin asked him to, despite how it would kill his Alpha to do so.

‘Arthur. C’mon, Alpha.’

The full moon was what made them shift, kept them as wolves until sunlight peeked over the top of the trees. Now, with Merlin’s pleading calling on something within him, Arthur felt his body transition. It took less time than it ever had before, not even a dull ache as he snapped back into his normal form.

Despite being back as a human, he could tell that some parts of his wolf remained. Like the claws, the teeth that he could feel pressing against his lip, the eyes that he saw reflected in Merlin’s gaze. Half Alpha, half human. A mixture that was entirely because of the Omega spread out beneath him, a smug expression that held no shyness, despite how exposed he was.

Merlin grinned, eyes that beautiful mix of golden and blue, rolled over onto his stomach and hitched his knees underneath him. Gangly limbs folding up perfectly, arms stretching out and fingers resting on the ground, Arthur taking in the offering with a smirk.

‘Omega.’ He purred, Merlin responding by dropping down onto his forearms.

**

Morgana watched Merlin shift, eyes entirely focused on him. Pale skin that was burning hot with heat, the scent that had driven them to chase him through the woods. An impossible feat, transitioning during the full-moon, but he didn’t even hesitate to obey Arthur’s command. The King shifted as well, as soon as Merlin responded to him, and Morgana realised what they were going to see.

Shit, the space suddenly felt far too closed in, her skin felt like it was an inferno. She dropped down to her stomach, could see the others doing the same, watching as Merlin lowered down in front of Arthur. It smelt like honey, clogged up her mind and was thick enough that she could swallow it down, could taste it all the way in the pit of her stomach.

Her eyes met Merlin’s gaze, and she could almost feel how desperate he was. All that time, walking around in their normal forms, able to smell his delicious scent but not quite understanding what it meant. Now she understood exactly what it meant, understood why she currently felt like she was about to burst from the heat in her body. The need to go forwards and claim him, to prove that she was worthy of his attention.

Then Arthur’s hands were at Merlin’s hips, the Alpha rising up and she watched as his hips snapped forwards. Listened to Merlin cry out, forced to watch as his eyes rolled back and his fingers dug into the dirt. Morgana could hear her own breathing, the heavy panting that echoed out, the heat between her thighs as Arthur drew back. She needed friction, needed something to press against in a desperate attempt to feel the honour of what Arthur was currently taking.

‘My Omega.’ His voice left no room for argument, and followed by his hips moving, nobody dared to disagree. Merlin whined, body glistening in the light of the full moon, sweat and the slick between his thighs almost within her taste.

She couldn’t look away. It was captivating, drew her in until she realised she was moving her hips in time with Arthur’s, demanding a pressure between her thighs. The others looked to be in a similar state, none daring to move closer to the couple, but all needing something that they couldn’t quite have.

Arthur’s eyes were the darkest of red, claws extended and biting into Merlin’s skin, leaving small marks that she knew would bruise. His head tipped back, mouth dropping open and giving them a sight of the canines that weren’t human. This was the Alpha of the group, the Pack Leader that was taking what was his.

Merlin sobbed beneath him, body tensing up before he cried out, a strangled sound as his body went limp. One of them, she vaguely recognised it as Leon, dared to take a step closer towards the Omega at that point. She understood why, Merlin’s climax was followed by a flood of something that had her closet to her own edge.

Arthur’s snarl was feral, grip tightening on Merlin and his thrusts speeding up, driving Merlin down into the dirt and keeping his gaze firmly on Leon. It was a dare, a challenge that the other Alpha backed down from, baring his neck.

Then Arthur’s attention was back on Merlin, head dropping to the Omega’s shoulder and teeth biting down into the skin of his shoulder. The Warlock moaned so sweetly, Arthur faltering in his movements before he sunk forwards, the two of them pressed together. Soft, gentle in the way that Arthur wrapped an arm around his lover, nuzzled the nape of his neck and held him.

Gods, she wanted Merlin.


	11. His Pack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin's just got to finish bonding them all together :)

Arthur rolled back, relaxed on the mossy undergrowth and let his wolves move forwards. The Pack had waited almost perfectly, Leon aside, while the Alpha took what was his. Now, he watched in amusement as Merlin was cleaned up by skilful tongues, as the wolves nudged at him until he was shifting back to his wolf-form.

He didn’t bother, stared at the Omega as he was mounted by one of them, demanding even when he was pinned by them. He hadn't been expecting this shift, hadn't ever thought his slight infatuation with his manservant would lead them here. To Merlin underneath him in the forest, falling back onto wolf-instinct to rut at each other.

Camelot, run by a Pack of werewolves. Creatures of Magic, all of them. It was laughable really, considering where they’d all started out. The hunt against Magic had turned into Camelot fully embracing it, and Arthur suspected most of that was due to the Omega in front. Merlin’s blue-gold eyes looked up to him, as if he could read his thoughts, lip curling into a smirk before he whined.

Morgana was clearly in charge of the group, once he was gone. She strutted around with her tail flicking, guiding Leon on as he moved on top of Merlin. The Omega purred, nuzzled into her flank as she moved, the wolf nipping at him lightly. Both of them had Magic, and if Morgana’s words were to be believed, then Merlin was stronger than he allowed them to know.

It was a pile of limbs, of messy heat and sweat and stickiness as his Pack bonded. There could be no other word for it, the connection between them was growing, even if it was in a slightly unconventional way. Arthur had the ability to connect to each of the wolves in the Pack, could feel them. Hear their thoughts, could speak to them with nothing more than a wish.

Morgana had finally got her wish, the two of them had shifted back to human form, Merlin settling between her thighs with her hand in his hair, guiding his head down her stomach. He averted his eyes, mostly because he didn’t need to see his sister bare, although he did let his gaze keep flicking to Merlin. So eager to please, their Omega, the other Knights shifting despite how impossible it should be.

When his sister rose back up, Merlin’s growl was quite surprising. He watched in amusement as the Omega focused on her, Morgana gasping as fabrics began to wrap around her form. Smooth, almost like they were silks, a deep green in colour.

‘Jealous?’ Morgana teased, but Merlin was reaching for Gwen. She looked so shy, the one most unsure of the current events. But then Merlin was kissing her, soft and gentle, and the others halted just to watch.

He could see the moment the scent took over, Gwen’s eyes widening and her hands reaching for Merlin. He let her push him back, hitting the moss and her body coming to straddle his, sinking down over him easily.

Morgana came across to Arthur’s side, peered down at him with amusement.

‘Should have known it would take Merlin to stop you being so… prudish.’ Arthur honestly wasn’t concerned by the fact he was lying bare on the ground. He was still trying to get his breathing back from whatever had happened just then.

‘Should have known it would take Merlin to have you taking charge.’ He shot back, wondering why he didn’t get soft green silks. Gwen was walking to Morgana’s side, dressed in similar looking fabrics, apart from the fact they were purple in colour.

‘I’m still unsure over the scent changes…’ Gwen began, but Morgana took her hand, squeezing it gently.

‘We’ll figure all of this out. As a Pack.’ Arthur propped himself up, looking across to where his Knights were snapping and scrabbling over the right to curl up next to Merlin, two of them still in wolf-form. Merlin was looking a mess, sweaty and with hair sticking in all directions. Gwaine was tucked to his chest, Merlin’s gangly legs wrapped around his form, the two pressed together.

‘This is quite the spectacle.’ Morgana sat down by Arthur’s side, Gwen copying, and the Pack Alpha couldn’t help but laugh.

‘Good thing we’re alone.’

‘There’s nine of us.’ Gwen pointed out, smiling softly when Merlin’s eyes lazily flicked open to her, smiled gently.

‘Well, we’re hardly going to tell on what happened here tonight.’ Morgana remarked, before lying back onto the moss besides Arthur. He just chuckled, wrapped an arm around her and then offered out a space for Gwen, who moved to his side.

His Pack, his family.


End file.
